SOUTHLAKE, Texas–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Sept. 13, 2005–Sabre Airline
Solutions, the industry leader in airline operations technology,
announced today its preferred partner status in the International Air
Transport Association’s (IATA) Simplifying the Business initiative.
Sabre has supported this initiative since its announcement in 2004,
introducing industry-first new generation solutions that include both
stand-alone and integrated options for electronic ticketing and other
key elements of the IATA program.
The Simplifying the Business Preferred Partner program — part of
IATA’s Strategic Partnership Program — is the vehicle through which
suppliers and service providers to the air transport industry interact
with IATA and its member airlines in the development of industry
solutions and their implementation through various industry channels.
“As an industry, we have challenged ourselves to find cost
reduction possibilities in our complex processes. To make the most
effective use of technology and simplify the business of travel, IATA
is working with top-level technology providers like Sabre to move the
industry forward,” said Bryan Wilson, Project Director Electronic
Ticketing, of IATA. “Sabre has demonstrated great initiative in making
this change happen with innovative solutions like its eticketing hub.
We consider them an important partner in accomplishing the goals set
forth in our Simplifying the Business initiative.”
According to Sabre, there are several implementation stages an
airline needs to be cognizant of prior to achieving 100 percent
eticketing. Sabre will outline these during upcoming IATA global
forums as part of the Simplifying the Business initiative.
These stages include implementing eticketing to the airline and
providing the eticketing option to global distribution systems (GDS)
to enable travel agency distribution of electronic ticketing.
Subsequently, airlines should sign ticketing agreements for interline
eticketing with partner airlines, and finally, airlines should ensure
that any third-party ground handlers have the ability to service
customers with etickets.
For airlines to implement eticketing to their ticketing
operations, Sabre provides a number of options through its SabreSonic
portfolio for both hosted and non-hosted airlines. More than 40
airlines worldwide have already implemented Sabre’s eticketing
solutions.
Sabre Travel Network has assisted travel agencies in implementing
eticketing for their customers, resulting in more than 70 percent of
tickets issued through Sabre Connected agencies being in an eticket
format. In the key markets, the percentage of etickets is over 90
percent.
Interline eticketing Hub
One of the most innovative and cost-effective solutions in Sabre’s
ticketing portfolio is its interline eticketing hub, part of
SabreSonic Ticket, a state-of-the art eticketing module for airlines
that eliminates the need for carriers to build costly systems for
electronic ticket distribution and database maintenance. The
eticketing hub significantly simplifies the process for enabling
eticketing between two or multiple carriers.
Via the eticketing hub, Sabre Airline Solutions has established
the various available communication protocols between carriers, so all
a carrier has to do to set up eticketing is simply establish a single
connection to the SabreSonic eticketing hub. This enables single
itinerary eticketing for travel with any number of participating
airlines. Currently, there are 27 carriers participating in the
SabreSonic eticketing hub, including American Airlines, US Airways,
British Airways, Qantas, Iberia, Cathay, Philippine Airlines, JAL and
others worldwide.
“Simplification of airline operations was at the heart of the
development and launch of the SabreSonic passenger solution, so this
partnership is a natural outgrowth for both organizations,” said
Gianni Marostica, president of Airline Passenger Solutions at Sabre
Airline Solutions. “By delivering airlines the latest, most advanced
offerings to simplify their business across the breadth of airline
operations, and by responding to their feedback, we are able to
address our customers’ needs — such as preparation for 100 percent
eticketing by 2007 — with an agility our competition does not have.
Our strategic partnership with IATA further strengthens our ability to
measure the pulse of the industry.”
Third-party Ground Handling
Another option that Sabre Airline Solutions has introduced that
addresses IATA’s simplification objectives is third-party ground
handling. Ground handling eticketing enables a carrier to extend
existing capabilities by accommodating outsourcing of ground handling
operations. The IATA standard methods support electronic ticketing
distribution and provide a high level of security in electronic ticket
usage. The solution also facilitates communication between departure
control systems and is fully integrated with SabreSonic Ticket.
Air Malta was the first to implement the ground handling option
and has already seen benefits.
SabreSonic Check-in Solution
Finally, the SabreSonic Check-in solution is fully integrated with
the Sabre eticketing package, ensuring full access and control of
eticketing records throughout the departure control process for hosted
airlines.
About Sabre Airline Solutions
Sabre Airline Solutions, a Sabre Holdings company, is the world’s
largest provider of software products, reservations and departure
control systems and other passenger management systems, and consulting
services that help airlines simplify operations and lower costs. Sabre
Airline Solutions’ proven leadership is demonstrated by the growing
number of airlines that leverage the technology and services: More
than 200 airlines worldwide use Sabre Airline Solutions’ broad
portfolio of smart solutions for decision-support tools to increase
revenues and improve operations. More than 100 airlines worldwide rely
on Sabre Airline Solutions for passenger management solutions, with
eight new carriers choosing SabreSonic, the first new generation
reservations system offered in the market, in 2004 and six carrier
renewals. In addition, more than 100 clients worldwide have turned to
the Sabre Airline Solutions consulting group for strategic, commercial
and operational consulting. More than 500 contracts worldwide were
signed in 2004 across the breadth of Sabre Airline Solutions’ leading
technology solutions.
Sabre Holdings Corporation (NYSE:TSG) is a world leader in travel
commerce, retailing travel products and providing distribution and
technology solutions for the travel industry. More information about
Sabre Holdings is available at http://www.sabre-holdings.com.
Sabre Airline Solutions, the Sabre Airline Solutions logo,
SabreSonic, Sabre Travel Network and Sabre Connected are trademarks
and/or service marks of an affiliate of Sabre Holdings Corp. All other
trademarks, service marks and trade names are the property of their
respective owners. (C) 2005 Sabre Inc. All rights reserved.
CONTACT: Sabre Airline Solutions, Southlake
Kathryn Hayden, 682-605-2252
kathryn.hayden@sabre-holdings.com
SOURCE: Sabre Airline Solutions